The Little Life of a Big Landlord

Chapter 106 Blind Date

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At 10 a.m., the sun was already high in the sky, shining on the beautiful and peaceful little mountain village.

The neat rows of fertile fields are so inviting. In the soft soil, various microorganisms decompose the organic matter at a speed imperceptible to the human eye, emitting a unique earthy fragrance. Each step leaves a footprint a centimeter deep.

"This wheat is really growing..." Yang Ming was working on Liu Sao's land and was currently checking on the wheat's growth.

"What's wrong? Aren't they growing quite well?" Wei Qingqing was delighted to see that her wheat seedlings were bigger and stronger than others', but she was surprised to hear the worry in Yang Ming's voice.

"Have you ever heard the saying 'A timely snow promises a bumper harvest'?" Yang Ming asked.

"Of course I've heard of it..." Wei Qingqing nodded.

"A timely snow promises a bumper harvest, and that's exactly what winter wheat is all about." Yang Ming frowned. "Winter wheat is planted around the autumnal equinox. In winter, the entire wheat plant freezes to death. Of course, only the stems freeze to death, but the roots are alive. When spring comes, it will continue to grow. If it snows in winter, the snow will melt into water in spring, nourishing the roots and making it grow even better."

"You mean, if winter wheat grows too fast in the first year, it won't sprout in the second year?" Wei Qingqing said.

"That's exactly what I mean. If they sprout in the fall this year, all the crops in our fields will be ruined," Yang Ming said.

"So that's how it is? It seems growing too fast isn't a good thing either..." Wei Qingqing said.

"Of course..." Yang Ming nodded.

"So what do we do now?" Wei Qingqing asked, starting to worry. "We can't just let all these wheat seedlings be ruined, can we?"

"Of course not. As long as it frosts now, our wheat seedlings will be fine..." Yang Ming said.

Frost is a natural phenomenon. Plants that have been hit by frost will stop growing. Generally, if wheat seedlings are hit by frost, the stems above the ground will stop growing. After a few more frosts, they will die completely.

It will only slowly awaken when the rain and dew nourish it next spring.

"We're not the God of Thunder and Goddess of Lightning, or the Wind God and Rain Master, who can control the heavens..." Wei Qingqing suddenly remembered that her husband had bought a solar-powered thermostat from the sales system. If they could use this thing to control the temperature, wouldn't that be...

"You thought of that too?" Yang Ming chuckled.

"Hehe, high-tech! I have to see it for myself. How big is that solar-powered temperature controller?" Wei Qingqing whispered in Yang Ming's ear.

"It's not very big, the controller is like a flashlight, but the main unit is like a satellite dish," Yang Ming said.

"Then?" Wei Qingqing raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Let's go..." Yang Ming grabbed Wei Qingqing's hand, and the two of them ran off in a flash.

In the backyard, there is a three-story gated farm. This is an idle farm where no livestock are raised, so no trees are planted here, and the light is just right.

This solar-powered temperature controller consists of two parts: a main unit and a controller. Neither part is particularly eye-catching.

The main unit is just a round dish similar to a satellite antenna. This dish can rotate automatically to absorb sunlight and free photons in the air by using the largest possible surface area. In the center of the dish is a transparent crystal pillar that protrudes out. This crystal pillar is the main component used to control the temperature. The most advanced technology of the entire device is actually in this crystal pillar.

The controller is shaped somewhat like a flashlight, and is very lightweight and compact. As the name suggests, it is used to operate the entire machine.

"Is this the solar-powered temperature controller?" Wei Qingqing hesitated as she looked at the solar-powered temperature controller that Yang Ming had taken out.

"Of course, see this controller? It can be remotely operated within a hundred kilometers of the main unit. The buttons on it are very simple: a switch and two knobs. I don't need to explain what the switch does. One of the knobs is for adjusting the temperature, from -100 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees Celsius. The other knob is for adjusting the temperature control range, which can be as large as a hundred kilometers in radius or as small as one meter. The knob for adjusting the temperature control range is not a problem, but the knob for adjusting the temperature is crucial. You absolutely cannot adjust it randomly. If you adjust it to -100 degrees Celsius, to put it bluntly, there will be no one alive within a hundred kilometers of us." Yang Ming said, holding up a controller about the size of a flashlight.

That said, this solar-powered temperature controller can be considered a weapon of mass destruction.

"So dangerous?" Wei Qingqing's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Of course. In the universe, some plants and animals can only survive at temperatures as low as -100 degrees Celsius. That's why this light-powered temperature controller wasn't removed from the menu as a weapon of mass destruction," Yang Ming said.

"So that's how it is..." Wei Qingqing instinctively hid behind Yang Ming. She now felt a deep-seated fear of this light-powered temperature controller.

Yang Ming first adjusted the knob to the 25-degree Celsius mark, then turned on the switch on the controller: "Let's try it now..."

drop by drop...

With a soft hum, the entire breeding farm suddenly went dark. Yang Ming felt as if he were in an endless void, unable to see Wei Qingqing or even himself. He panicked, then heard Wei Qingqing crying. He felt her hug him from behind. It turned out that the main unit was frantically absorbing light, instantly drawing away all the light in the surrounding space, making the breeding farm seem pitch black for a moment.

buzzing...

With a buzzing sound, the main unit finally absorbed enough light energy, and the entire space brightened up again, as the light energy temperature controller entered a stable operating state.

In the blink of an eye, the air gradually warmed up, and a warm breeze blew by, making it feel like spring had arrived.

"When night falls, we'll set the temperature to -3 degrees Celsius. We're guaranteed a frost tonight. Hmm! Wasn't yesterday the Frost's Descent of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms?" Yang Ming said.

"I checked the calendar yesterday, yesterday was Frost's Descent..." Wei Qingqing hugged Yang Ming tightly with both hands. Although the darkness just now didn't last long, it really scared her. Fortunately, when she hugged him in a hurry, she hugged a familiar body.

"So, it's not against the laws of nature for us to have a frost tonight." Yang Ming turned around and hugged Wei Qingqing tightly. The feeling of being blind to the world just now was truly frightening.

"I'm scared..." Wei Qingqing buried her head in Yang Ming's arms, her tears soaking Yang Ming's clothes.

"Don't be afraid, I'm always here..." Yang Ming gently stroked Wei Qingqing's soft hair, though he was trembling inside.

"Mmm..." Wei Qingqing felt as comfortable as a kitten being petted. The man's embrace was so warm that she never wanted to leave.

"Alright, this solar-powered temperature controller can be used continuously for ten days on a single charge. Let's go out now and operate it remotely tonight..." Yang Ming said softly, kissing the top of Wei Qingqing's head.

"Hmm..." Wei Qingqing said in a muffled voice.

So the two of them walked out together.

When he returned home, there was a guest. Yang Ming didn't recognize the man; he was a thin, frail old man in his sixties. Yang Zhengfang was keeping him company on the kang (a heated brick bed), while Zhang Shufang and Aunt Liu were cooking in the outer room.

Through the introduction, Yang Ming learned that this man was actually Liu's father, Liu Shugen.

Today is their first meeting, and they're even godparents, so the young couple should at least keep Liu Shugen company and have a chat with him.

"Brother, you've raised a fine daughter... Who in the whole Zhengjia Village doesn't know that Sister Liu is a capable woman?" Yang Zhengfang praised Sister Liu to the skies.

"What a silly girl, how could she be a capable person?" Liu Shugen said with a broad smile, repeatedly expressing his modesty.

"Sigh? If Sister Liu is stupid, then there are no capable people in this world..." Yang Zhengfang laughed.

"That's too kind of you..." Liu Shugen said happily, waving his hands repeatedly.

"Brother! Time waits for no one, and we're not as young as we used to be. If you miss your daughter, just let her come see you. The mountain roads aren't easy to travel. Is there some kind of difficulty at home?" Yang Zhengfang said.

"No, no," Liu Shugen laughed, "It's Xiaofen's third aunt who arranged a meeting for her, telling her to go for a consultation tomorrow morning..."

"Dad, what did you say?" Liu Sao, who had been in a good mood, immediately turned pale and rushed into the house after hearing her father's words.

"Your third aunt has found you a husband. He doesn't mind that you're a widow or that you have a child..." Liu Shugen said.

"Dad, I will never remarry in this life. You can tell Auntie San..." Aunt Liu's face was not good.

"Girl, Dazhi has been dead for two years now, and you've done right by him. Originally, when your third aunt told us, we weren't planning to agree, but yesterday Nannan went back and told us about you, so we agreed... Your mother and I know what kind of treatment you've suffered at your in-laws' house, but we didn't expect it to be this serious. You've suffered so much these past years..." Liu Shugen shed two lines of tears.

"Dad, I'm not suffering..." Aunt Liu's tears also fell.

"Go take a look. That man is your third aunt's nephew. He's honest and simple. It won't hurt to see him. If you don't like him, no one will force you..." Liu Shugen said.

"Dad, I really don't want to go. All I want to do in my life is stay with Bao'er and live a peaceful life," said Aunt Liu.

"Bao'er is a girl, she'll get married someday, do you really want to go to your son-in-law's house and cause trouble?" Liu Shugen said.

"I..." Aunt Liu really wanted to tell her father that she was pregnant, and it was very likely a son. In the future, the family would need someone to carry on the family line. However, she knew her father's personality. If he found out, he would definitely force her to abort the child. Even if she told him that her mother-in-law had made her give birth, it would only make him angry. Besides, she really couldn't bear to abort the child.

"Go take a look, let Yang Ming drive you there..." Wei Qingqing winked at Aunt Liu.

Aunt Liu's eyes darted around, a smile appearing on her lips. She nodded, "Okay, Yang Ming will come with me, I'll go..."

"Yang Ming..." Liu Shugen looked at Yang Ming, his eyes pleading.

"Sure, sure, I'll take Aunt Liu there and also check her out. If the guy isn't good-looking, I'll just pass him over..." Yang Ming said with a smile.

The village chief election is in a couple of days, so Liu Sao's plan is destined to fail.

"It doesn't matter whether it works out or not, just don't let your third aunt lose face. She's been doing her best for you..." Liu Shugen said.

"Mmm..." Aunt Liu smiled and nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, alright, you young people are talking inside, aren't you? Sister Liu, Qingqing, come out and help me with the work..." Zhang Shufang called out from the outer room.

"They're here, they're here..." Aunt Liu and Wei Qingqing hurriedly ran out, and Yang Ming followed them out.

"Mingming, go inside. Go with your dad and Uncle Liu..." Zhang Shufang shooed Yang Ming, who was about to help with the fire, into the house.

"Oh my, what's that smell? It's so tempting!" Zhang Fenghuang's voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

"What do you mean by 'tempting'? This is called 'seductive'..." Liu Lili's voice followed.

"What brings you two here?" Yang Ming quickly went out and saw Zhang Fenghuang and Liu Lili walking into the courtyard.

These two sisters arrived in BMWs, one for each of them. With their fancy cars and beautiful women, they had a nouveau riche vibe.

"What's wrong? Can't we come? Or are you not welcoming us?" Zhang Fenghuang's tone was quite aggressive.

"We're not here to see him, we're here to see Aunt Liu, it's none of his business... I don't even know if our Hanfu is finished yet..." Liu Lili said.

"I feel really awkward whenever I see Yang Ming now. Didn't that old man say that the two of us sisters would fall in love with the same married man? It's probably because of this kid Yang Ming." Zhang Fenghuang said nonchalantly, showing no sign of embarrassment at all.

"Stop talking nonsense, my parents are here..." Yang Ming glared at the two women and said.

"Huh?" The two women were startled, blushed slightly, and stuck out their tongues a little.

"Which old man said that?" Zhang Shufang stood in front of the door, her face somewhat displeased.

"Ah? Auntie?" Zhang Fenghuang suddenly covered her mouth, staring at Zhang Shufang in shock.

"What the hell..." Liu Lili stared at Zhang Shufang, feeling as if the sky was spinning.

"Uh! This is my mom. I gave my parents some health supplements. They're rich in collagen and various nutrients. They're supposed to make people look younger. Basically, they're supposed to plump up some of the aging skin cells," Yang Ming explained, forcing a smile.

"Yang Ming, I often stay up late, and I have under-eye bags. Do you think it's because..." Zhang Fenghuang's voice was urgent.

"Every morning when other people wake up, their skin is loose and wrinkled. We're old classmates, you can't be stingy..." Liu Lili wasn't much better off.

"You haven't answered my question yet? Which old man said that?" Zhang Shufang said.

"Auntie, he's an old Taoist priest we met in Beidaihe..." Liu Lili said.

"Wasn't his first sentence about you being destined for romance and having many lovers?" Wei Qingqing interrupted Liu Lili and asked.

"How did you know?" Zhang Fenghuang and Liu Lili were both so surprised that their mouths dropped open.

"You guys are really something, why didn't you let him break the curse? It's only a thousand dollars..." Yang Ming said.

"It seems you two are quite familiar with that old Taoist priest?" Zhang Fenghuang's suspicious gaze swept over the young couple.

"No... We only ran into him outside the train station when we were taking the train home," Yang Ming said.

"At the time, he said that Yang Ming's love star was shining and he was destined to be involved in romantic entanglements, which made us so angry! Yang Ming then took out 10,000 yuan and said that as long as he could say a hundred auspicious words without repeating himself, the money would be his. As a result, the old Taoist priest was so angry that he ran away..." Wei Qingqing recounted with great pride, completely forgetting that someone seemed to be planning to spend money to ward off evil and disaster.

"That's typical nouveau riche behavior..." Zhang Fenghuang rolled her eyes at Yang Ming.

"That's outrageous! How could they bully an old person like that?" Liu Lili said with a strong sense of justice, completely forgetting that she herself had once indirectly insulted someone.

"Yes, yes, I'm not a scoundrel, okay? Knowing you as I do, the fact that you didn't say that old man hanged himself is a sign of your great mercy..." Yang Ming rolled his eyes.

Yang Ming's words made Zhang Fenghuang and Liu Lili blush.

"Alright, alright, let's stop talking in the yard and go inside..." Wei Qingqing quickly said.

"Hmph, you two girls, still as mischievous as ever..." Zhang Shufang rolled her eyes at the two girls, then turned and went back inside to continue cooking.

"Hehehe..." The two women chuckled awkwardly, quickly walked to Yang Ming's side, and pinched his arm hard, making Yang Ming's facial muscles tremble in pain.

After the two sisters finished pinching him, they went into the house happily with Wei Qingqing, without even glancing at Yang Ming again, which made Yang Ming very depressed. These two sisters had become even more unruly.

Around noon, Xiao Bao'er and Li Yueting, who had been playing outside all morning, returned. Xiao Bao'er was so happy to see his grandfather that he jumped up and down and snuggled into his grandfather's arms. Li Yueting, on the other hand, joined in the cooking. Although her identity had been exposed to Yang Ming and his wife, she still stayed in the village and showed no intention of leaving.

After lunch, Aunt Liu, along with her daughter and Yang Ming, saw her father, Liu Shugen, off. Yang Zhengfang and Zhang Yang then strolled off to the construction site. Zhang Fenghuang, Liu Lili, Zhang Shufang, Wei Qingqing, and Sun Fangfang sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and started chatting.

It turns out that the two sisters' visit to Zhengjia Village was indeed for the sake of Hanfu (traditional Han clothing). Recently, a post titled "My Empress Life" has become popular in a small circle online, and it has been reposted quite a bit. The poster is a female student from Yanshan University. In the post, she focuses on how she was fortunate enough to meet three strange travelers on Laolongtou and take a picture with them while wearing the exquisite Hanfu they carried. She claims that it is the best picture she has ever taken in her life.

The female student also posted the photo, but only the girl's sweet smile was in the photo; the boy's face was blurred out.

"We recognized him at a glance, that man is Yang Ming..." Zhang Fenghuang happily drank a carton of goat milk as an after-dinner beverage.

"Really? Could it be Wang Huifang?" Wei Qingqing got off the kang (a heated brick bed), took out her laptop from the wardrobe, turned it on, opened Baidu, entered the six keywords "My Empress Life", and then pressed enter.

Sure enough, Baidu search returned a lot of related information. After clicking on one at random, a new webpage popped up. The first thing you saw was a large photo of a girl in a ceremonial robe holding the arm of a man also in a ceremonial robe, smiling sweetly...

"It really is Wang Huifang..." Wei Qingqing's eyes widened. Of course she recognized the photo; it was clearly taken by her own hand.

"This girl has a very auspicious appearance. Whoever marries her will surely have a lot of sons..." Zhang Shufang always judged people based on their fertility.

"We recognized her as soon as we saw her clothes. They belonged to Qingqing. Right now, the hottest topic online is about that Hanfu. Many netizens are asking about the origin of these two Hanfu outfits..." Zhang Fenghuang said.

"Also, Zhao Dongge's photo studio has your wedding photos hanging up..." Liu Lili said.

"Zhao Dongge? Yang Ming's dorm leader? Zhao Dongge? Zhao Dongyuan? What is his relationship with Zhao Dongyuan?" Wei Qingqing was startled. She seemed to remember that the photo studio manager was named Zhao Dongyuan and had given them a business card, but she hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.

"Brother and sister..." Zhang Fenghuang said with certainty.

"So that's how it is." Wei Qingqing nodded. "What a small world, everyone seems to know someone here..."

Sun Fangfang hadn't said a word. She'd eaten too much at lunch, and her stomach was a little bloated. Every time she spoke or breathed, it hurt. Right now, she was lying behind Zhang Shufang, looking at the photo in her notebook: "I must say, this little girl is really photogenic. She looks quite good in the picture..."

"Hmph, I looked up some information about Hanfu online. This kind of clothing definitely enhances one's temperament. Ever since the Yellow Emperor ruled the world by wearing clothes, it has always been the traditional clothing of the Chinese nation. Hanfu is also called Huafu..." Liu Lili said.

"Now, the Chinese nation includes fifty-six ethnic groups..." Sun Fangfang got an apple from somewhere and took a bite with a crunch.

"..." Liu Lili was speechless. Even ethnic minorities have their own traditional clothing...

"What's wrong? What are you talking about?" Aunt Liu, carrying her work, pushed open the curtain and came in. Then she took off her shoes, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and began to work.

"Sister Liu, when will you finish making our Hanfu?" Zhang Fenghuang asked.

"It will definitely be ready in a week, just wait a few days patiently..." Aunt Liu said.

"What about mine?" Liu Lili asked.

"Ten days later..." Aunt Liu said again.

"Does that mean we'll have to stay here for ten days?" Zhang Fenghuang was a little unhappy. The main problem was that there were too few entertainment facilities in this small mountain valley, and the lack of a vibrant nightlife was making it hard for her to bear.

"What's so special about this? You can soak in hot springs every day..." Liu Lili didn't find it monotonous at all; at least she could soak in hot springs anytime, anywhere here.

"Our village is planning to develop agritourism. Can you help me think of something fun to do in the village?" said Aunt Liu.

It is said that for agritainment, it is best to hire a city dweller as an advisor. City dwellers and villagers have different perspectives. Some things that villagers see as arduous labor are, in the eyes of city dwellers, an interesting game.

"So you're hiring a consultant? How much is the consultant fee?" Zhang Fenghuang asked with a mischievous smile.

"Want two slaps?" Aunt Liu asked with a smile.

"You should keep it for yourself. If you beat your own butt so badly, the guy will definitely take a liking to you at first sight when you go on your blind date tomorrow..." Zhang Fenghuang already knew about Liu Sao's blind date tomorrow.

"Zhang Fenghuang, do you believe I'll prick you with a needle?" Aunt Liu glared at her.

"I don't believe it..." Zhang Fenghuang said, already hiding behind Zhang Shufang.

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around. Xiaofen, I know you don't want to go on a blind date, but you have to give them face, otherwise you'll offend them and your third aunt won't look good either. Be mindful of your manners and don't be impolite or make a fool of yourself..." Zhang Shufang said.

"I understand, Auntie..." Aunt Liu nodded.

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(End of this chapter)